Lightning-protector for buildings



PATBNTBD AUG. 8, i905.

J. P. A. ANDERSON. LIGHTNING PROTECTOR FOR BUILDINGS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20, 1904- xi M .N f Z r WAMWM,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1905.

Application filed September 20, 1904- Serial Nn- 225,292.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN P. A. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Madrid, in the county of Booneand State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Lightning-Protector for Buildings, of which the following is a specification.

My object is to utilize chimneys, metalcastings, valleys, gutters, and water-conductors in producing lightning protection for buildings and to lessen the cost and increase the capacity and effectiveness of electric conductors on buildings.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

in WhlCl1 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a building that shows "my invention applied thereto as required for practical use. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a chimney-cover provided with corner-posts adapted to serve as electric conductors. Fig. 3 shows a strip of sheet metal fixed to a sheet-metal gutter. Fig. 4: shows the manner of connecting a sheetmetal conductor with a post or point on top of the chimney-cover. Fig. 5 is a vertical central sectional view that shows the electrical connection between a metal top on a chimney and a metal cover on the ridge of a roof..

The numeral 10 designates a metal cover or cap-piece for a chimney. It may vary insize, as required for chimneys of difierent dimensions, and may be complete in one piece or in parts joined together by riveting or in any suitable way as required to be fitted ontop of a chimney. It will serve as an electric conductor for receiving and transmitting lightning and also serve as a means to prevent the brick from separating and falling from the chimney.

The cap-piece 10 may be cast complete in one piece and conductors, posts, or points 12 connected therewith, as shown in Fig. 4, or in any suitable way, and said points. connected by metal rods 13, as shown in Fig. 2, to serve as conductors.

Strips of sheet metal 14 are placed .flat against the outside surface of the chimney and under and in contact with the metal cap 10 and posts or points 12, and also connected with a metal base or band 15, fitted to the chimney, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5 or in any suitable way to conduct electric currents from connected with the strips 1 1, as shown in Figs.

1 and 5 or in any suitable way to conduct lightning from the gables of the building to the metal gutters 17 in the valleys and from thence to metal gutters 18, fixed to the eaves and water-conductors l9, connectedwith the valleys 17, and then to the ground, as required to convey the electric currents or strokes of lightning into the ground.

Metal strips 20, connected with theends of the covers 16 at the gables, as shown in Fig. 1, aid in retaining the covers in place and also aid in attracting lightning from the atmosphere to the covers 16, as required to protect the gable ends of buildings. When there are no valleys or metal gutters 17 strips 21 are extend ed from the covers 16 to the gutters 18, as shown in Fig. l, or in any suitable way, and extended direct to the ground.

It is obvious that all the operative parts may be connected with a turret, pinnacle, or tower on a building in-place of achimney for utilizing metal ridge-covers, valleys, troughs,

and water-conductors for protecting a building from lightning in themanner set forth. Having thus set forth the purpose of my invention and the manner of construction and function of each part and the arrangement and combination of all the parts, the practical operation and utility thereof will be obvious to persons familiar with the art to which it pertains.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

' 1. In a lightning-protector for buildings, a metal cap-piece fitted and fixed around the top of a chimney, a metal band fitted and fixed around the chimney and strips of metal connected with the cap-piece and band on the outside of a chimney and means to electrically connect the band with the ground,. arranged and combined to operate in the manner set forth for the purposes stated. r

2. In. a lightning-protector for buildings, the combination of a metal cap-piece-fitted around the top of a chimney, a metal band fitted around the chimney, a strip of metal connected with the cap-piece and the band and a metal gutter in the valley of a roof connected with the band and means to electrically connect the gutter with the ground, for the purposes stated.

' 3. In alightning-protector for buildings, a metal cap-piece for a chimney, a metal band around the chimney, a strip of metal connected with the cap-piece and the band, a metal cover on the apex of a roofconnected with the band and a metal gutter in the valley of a roof connected with the band and means to electrically connect the gutter with the ground, arranged and combined with a chimney on a building, for the purposes stated.

4. In a lightning-protector for buildings, a metal cap-piece for a chimney, a metal band around the chimney, a strip of metal conneeted with the cap-piece and the band, a

metal cover on the apex of a root connected with the band, a metal gutter in the valley of a roof, a metal gutter at the cave of a roof and a metal water-conductor extended from the gutter at the cave of the roof into the ground, arranged and combined as set forth for the purposes stated.

5. The combination of a metal cap for a chimney having fixed metal posts at its corners and metal rods connected with the posts and metal strips fixed to its under side and to the bottoms of the posts, for the purposes stated.

6. Alightning-protector for buildings comprising a metal cap-piece for a chimney, a metal band around the chimney, a metal cover for the apex of a roof connected with the band, a metal strip extending from the cappiece to the metal band, a metal valley connected With the band, a metal gutter at the eaves of the roof connected with the valley, an electric conductor extended from the metal cover on the apex of the roof to the gutter at the cave of the roof and metal water-conductors extending from said gutter into the ground, arranged and combined as set forth, for the purposes stated.

JOHN P. A. ANDERSON.

Witnesses:

L. L. LESBROCK, THOMAS G. ORwIo. 

